Apparatus for playing duplicate whist



' no Model.)

I. SANDERS ON.- APPARATUS FOR PLAYING DUPLICATE WHIST.

No, 549,614. Patented Nov. 12, 1895.

\MTNESSES:

AN DREW BGRAHAM, PHUTO-LITNQWASHINGTDN. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK SANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING DUPLICATE WHIST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,614, dated November 12, 1895.

Application filed May 2'7, 1895. Serial No. 550,772. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK SANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Playing Duplicate VVhist, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for playing the game of duplicate whist, and my object is to provide a means for this purpose which is not only adequate in every particular, but which may be manufactured and placed on the market at a very low cost, the same being fully described hereinafter, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying my invention, the same showing four hands of playing-cards separately held thereby. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the base-plate with several parts in position thereon as they appear after the top plate and the hands of playing-cards are removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on broken line 4: 5, Fig. 1, showing two hands of playing-cards in position.

Similar letters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

A is the base-plate, which is preferably of an octagonal form and is usually made of some stiff light material like pasteboard.

At B is the top plate, which is smaller in transverse dimensions than the base-plate, so that when in position the base-plate projects outwardly at the several different sides beyond the top plate. The two plates are held apart and in the relative position shown by means of a rectangular block 0, the plates being secured to the block by any well-known means, such as nails or glue.

The four straight edge faces of the block C are parallel with four straight edge faces of the two plates. There is a ridge E near the outer edge of the base-plate at four different places, each one of which is opposite some one of the edge faces of block 0, as plainly shown in Fig. 2. a

The extreme outer edge of the base-plate opposite each ridge E is beveled inwardly, as at F, so that the lower portion of the thick ness of the material of the base-plate projects outwardly, and the extreme outer edge of the top plate at this point is beveled oppositely to that described in the base-plate, so that the top portion of the thickness of the material of the top plate projects outwardly, as at G.

Apparatus of this kind in practice is placed with the base-plate A flat upon the top of a table, and should the top and bottom plates be of the same size it would be objectionable, in that difliculty is experienced in easily inserting the hands of cards between the plates on account of the lower forward edge of the cards catching on the outer edge of the baseplate; but in my improved apparatus hereinbefore described the forward lower edge of the hand of cards may be first placed in contact with the top face of the projecting portion of the base-plate, when the natural downward pressure of the fingers grasping the cards holds them in close contact to readily pass the bevel at the edge of the top plate when they are pushed forward into position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the ridges E serving to raise the outer edges thereof and causing the top surface to press against the lower surface of the top plate, the cards thus serving in place of a spring to hold themselves in position. This bent position of the cards causes the outer lower edge thereof to have a position above the edge of the base-plate, so that the thumb may be easily inserted between the cards and the plate ready with the fingers upon the top thereof to remove the hand from between the plates.

The ridges E may be substituted by a continuous ridge entirely around the peripheral edge of the base, which would add much to the stiffness of the base if made of very thin material. I would prefer, however, the several separate ridges, as shown, since they serve,together with the heart, diamond, club, and spade characters shown in Fig. 1, to indicate the place to insert the separate hands.

The simplicity of this apparatus is obvious, since it is composed of but three simple pieces, which do not. form separate receptacles for each hand, but only one common receptacle, all in the same plane, but having different portions of the same designated by the characters shown or by means of numerals or any other characters ordinarily used for such a purpose.

I claim as my invention In an apparatus for playing duplicate whist the combination with a base plate of a top plate separated therefrom and held in relative position by means of a rectangular central block,whereby a card receptacle is formed around the block, the base plate larger than the top plate, and provided with a ridge or 

